Sorting-machine.



No. 758,104. PATENTED APR. 26, 1904. E. RETTIGH &,G. BERGER.

I SORTING MACHINE.

nnmuzon rum: APR. so, 1903.

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No. 758,104. PATELTTED APR. 26, 1904.

' E. RBTTIG'H & G. BERGER.

SORTING MAGHINE.

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a lili q-Vi h many EM mm w zaw (2M UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

I PATENT OFFIC EDWARD RETTI H, or GERMANTOWN, AND GEORGE BERGER, OF

CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SOR TING-MACHI NE.

SPEGiFICAT ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,104, dated April 26, 1904.

" Application filed April. 30,1903. Serial No. 154.914. (N0 model.)

length, and is especially adapted for sorting tobacco-leaves, although it may be used for separating other articles of similar nature.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and eificient construction that will separate and deliver the articles to be sorted.

Our invention consists of the constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and

set forth in the claims.

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents-a machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the endless carrier-belts in their relation to the feed-rolls. Fig. 3 is another View of same. Fig. 4 is a detail of a frame at one end of the machine, showing carrying-belt pulleys and guides and means for adjusting same. Fig. 5 is a frame at the opposite end of the machine, showing carrying-belt pulleys and means for adjusting same. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line a: a' looking toward the rear end of the machine. Figs. 7 and 8 are details showing connection of belt-guide at the rear end of the machine. Fig. 9-is a detail of beltguide. Fig. 10 is detail of carrier-belt. Fig. 11 is a detail showing grooves in sizing-roll, and Fig. 12 is a modification of same.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in the several views.

In the drawings a pair of sizing-rolls a extend the length of the machine and are journaled in suitable bearingsin'the respective ends of the main frame a. Said rolls are provided with a series of grooves a and partitions (0 forming a series of bins to receive the sorted articles, are in line with said grooves. A frame a, secured to the front end of the main frame and extending upwardly therefrom, has slots (9 in the sides thereof. Movin Figs. 2 and 3.

able frames 0& and a are provided with studs extending through the slots (1?, and said movable frames can be adjusted vertically and.

movable frame (0 has projecting studs extending through the slots at, and said frame can be adjusted vertically and held in its adjusted position by the nuts a on said studs. Pulleys et are fixed on a shaft c journaled in said frame. A table 6, having its top formed in halves inclined toward each other and bent downwardly at their adjacent edges, leaving an opening I), is provided with a pair of feeding-rolls b the impinging portions of which are ina vertical plane with said opening. Arranged at one end of the feeding-rolls there are two pairs of pulleys b and Z2, suitably journaled in the table-frame. The arrangement of these pulleys and feed-rolls in their relation to the feed-table is particularly shown A belt carrier or guide e is attached at one end by arms 0 to the movable frame a and at the other end by an arm 0 to the shaft a, said guide being in the samevertical plane with the pair of sizing-rolls and at an inclination thereto. A similar guide 0 is attached at one end by arms 0 to the frame of, the other end being secured in any suitable manner to the tableframe.

- A pair of endless-belt carriers d, driven by the pulleys a, travel from said pulleys over the pulleys cf, b 6, and a back to thepulleys a in the order named. Said belts travel in the same plane somewhat removed from each other until in passing from the pulleys Z2 to If they are brought together.with one edge of one abutting upon one edge of the other, and in this manner-they travelthrough the guides c and c. It will be seen that the belts in coming together. form a V-shaped opening coincident with the opening I) of the table and the impinging portions of the feedrolls, as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The contacting edges of the belts we preferably provide with a resilient material, and we have found that bristles, preferably of a soft and pliable nature, are well adapted for the purpose, and we have shown a construction embodying the use of belts with brushes; but we do not limit ourselves to their use and desire it to be understood that any resilient material attached to the belts for the purpose named is within the spirit of our invention. We preferably form the belt and brush by securing the bristles in perforations in a separate portion-cemented to one edge of the belt, and the same is further secured by cementing a facing on each side of the belt and sewing through the perforated portion,as particularly shown in Fig. 10.

The movable frames 64, a and a permit the vertical adjustment of the endless belt in its relation to the sizing-rolls and, further, permit the vertical adjustment of the frames (0 and a in relation with each other, and there'- by vary the inclination of the endless carrierbelt in its relation to the sizing-rolls. These are desirable features, for the maximum and minimum length of one lot of leaves vary from those of another lot, and the machine can be nicely adjusted to'handle each lot, and by varying the relative height of the two frames a and a, and thereby the inclination of the carrier-belt, the degree of variation between the various lots of sorted articles or the variation in length of those delivered to each successive bin may be regulated. For making this adjustment we arrange the guide 0 to telescope, as shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore, by reason of the frames at and a being movable independently of each other slack in the endless belts may be taken up.

Within each of the receiving-bins below the sizing-rolls there is a belt conveyer e, operating over shafts e to receive the leaves from the rolls and'convey them to another belt conveyer (2 operating over shafts 6 said lastnamed conveyers being inclined upwardly toward their discharge ends. These conveyers and the feed-rolls may be driven in any suitable manner; but we'have shown in Fig. 1 a belt driven from a pulley on one of the shafts 0 through pulleys on a counter-shaft 0 that leads to the feed-rolls, so that the conveyer e and feed-rolls may be driven by the same means. The endless carrying-belts are driven by the pulleys (1, which receive their motion through a pair of bevel-gears a, driven by a pulley a, which derives its movement from any suitable source, and the sizing-rolls are driven by a pulley (6 which is driven in any suitable manner.

The operation of our machine is as follows: The leaves to be sorted are placed upon the table from either side thereof, with their butt-ends against the guide-board I2 and are fed into the opening 6, where they are engaged by the feed-rolls and passed, the stem ends of the leaves being caught between the brushes of the respective belts where they come together between the pulleys and If, and the leaves are thus carried pendent over the sizing-rolls in the same vertical plane and at an inclination to said rolls, so that the leaves as they are carried along will sooner or later, according to their length, be caught by said rolls, drawn from their engagement with the brushes, and passed to the conveyers, which deliver them into the receiving-bins. The longest leaves will be delivered into the bin at the right and the shortest leaves into the bin at the left of the machine, the leaves of varying length between the two extremes being delivered according to their length into the intermediate bins to which they belong. In practice we have found that where plain sizing-rolls are employed leaves will sometimes be passed by the rolls, so as to fall over and be caught on the bin-partitions, and to avoid this we have provided grooves in the rolls, one for each partition, so that the leaves will be caught and passed by the rolls only when they will drop free of the partitions. Furthermore, when plain rolls are employed the lower ends of the leaves in being carried pendent over the rolls have a tendency to drag and be inclined before being caught and passed by the rolls, and to overcome the difiiculty we provide flat spaces (Z on the surface of the rolls, so that the leaves will hang pendent into these spaces and be caught and passed without being inclined. It sometimes happens that a leaf will be caught by the belt carriers with its stem end extending too far through the carrier, and tocorrect this we have provided beatersf and f, pivoted at one end to the carrier-guides in position to beat upon the stem ends of the leaves as they pass along. These heaters may be operated in any suitable manner; but we have shown a crank f on one end of one of the sizing-rolls, with a connectingrod f pivoted to the beater f, and the beater flias a projecting arm fflwith a connectingrod f pivoted to the beater f, so that both heaters are operated through the crank f It will be seen that by constructing the belts with the brushes upon their edges the belts are thereby adapted to run over pulleys the full width of the belts,and supporting and operating devices can be employed very simple in construction and mode of operation.

Having thusdescribed our invention, we claim 1. The combination with a pair of sizingrolls, of a pair of endless belts adapted to travel with an edge of one in contact with an edge of the other to engage and carry the article to be sorted pendent over said rolls and %t an inclination thereto, substantially as speci- 2. The combination with a pair of sizingrolls, of a pair of endless belts adapted to IIO travel in the same plane in proximity to each other, means to support said belts over said rolls at an inclination thereto and means on the adjacent edges of the respective belts to engage and releasably hold the article to be sorted suspended over said rolls while said belts travel on said. supporting means, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a pair of sizingrolls, of a pair of endless belts and means to support said belts over said rolls at an inclination thereto, said belts being adapted to travel with an edge of one in contact'with an edge of the other. a resilient material on thecontacting edges of the respective belts to engage and releasably hold the articles to be sortedsuspended over said rolls. while said belts travel on said supporting means, substantially as specified. a

4. The combination with a pair of sizingrolls, of a pair of endless belts and means to support said beltsover said rolls at an inclination thereto, said belts being adapted to travel in the same plane in proximity to each other, brushes on the adjacent edges of the respective belts to engage and releasably hold the articles to be sorted suspended over said rolls, while said belts travel on said supporting means, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a pair of sizing-' rolls, of a pair of endless belts adapted to carry leaves by their stem ends, and means to adjust said ends uniformly while being carried by said belts, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a pair of sizingrolls, of a pair of endless belts adapted to carry leaves by their stem ends, carrier-guides for said belts, boaters pivoted to said guides to adjust said ends uniformly while being carried by said belts, and means to operate said beaters, substantially as specified.

7. In a machine such as described, a feedtable having a cover with a longitudinal opening therein, a pair of feed-rolls below said cover,the impinging portions of which are opposite said opening, and a pair of endless belts adapted to travel past the end of said rolls to receive and engage the leaves as they are passed by said rolls, substantially as specified.

8. In a machine such as described, a feedtable having a cover with a longitudinal opening therein, said cover being inclined downwardly toward said opening, and apair of feedrolls below said opening having their impinging portions opposite thereto, a pair of endless belts, and means to carry said belts convergingly past the ends of said rolls until they contact with each other to receive and engage the leaves as they are passed by said rolls, substantially as specified.

9. In a machine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rolls having a series of grooves and a carrier adapted to re-. leasabl y hold the article to be sorted pendent over said rolls, said carrier being supported in an inclined position to said rolls, of aseries of partitions opposite the grooves in the rolls forming bins below said rolls to receive said articles as they are caught and passed by said rolls, substantially as specified.

10. In a machine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rolls having a series of grooves and acarrier supported over and at an inclination to said rolls, of a seriesof partitions, one opposite each of said grooves, said partitions forming bin s to receive the sorted articles from the sizing-rolls, substantially as specified.

11. In a machine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rollsand a series of bins to receive the sorted articles, of two endless belt conveyers in each of said bins, one of which extends under said rolls to receive the articles from said rolls and deliver them to the other conveyer, substantially as specified.

12. In amachine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rolls having flattened portions on the surface thereof, of a carrier adapted to releasably hold the article to be sorted pendent over said rolls, said carrier being supported in an inclined position to said rolls, substantially as specified.

13. In a machine such as described, the combination with apair of sizing-rolls having flattened portions on the surface thereof, a carrier supported at an inclination to said rolls, and a series of partitions, forming bins to re ceive the sorted articles from the sizing-rolls, substantially as specified.

14:. In a machine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rolls having a series of circumferential grooves and flattened portions on the surface between the same, and

a carrier adapted to releasably hold the arti cle to be sorted pendent over said rolls, said carrier being supported in an inclined position to said rolls, of a series of partitions forming bins below said rolls to receive said articles as they are eaughtand passed by said rolls, substantially as specified.

15. In a machine such as described, the combination with a pair of sizing-rolls having a series of circumferential grooves and flattened portions on the surface betweenthe same, and a carrier such as described, of a series of partitions, one for each of said grooves, said partitions forming bins to receive the sorted articles from the sizing rolls, substantially as specified.

16. The combination with a pair of sizing rolls and an article-carrier traveling at an in clination thereto, of means for-varying the inclination of said article-carrier, substantially as specified.

17. The combination with sizing-rolls, and a carrier arranged at an inclination thereto, of

means for regulating the degree of variation 18. The combination with sizing-rolls, and a carrier arranged at an inclination thereto, of means for regulating the Variation in successive lots of the sorted articles by varying the inclination of said carrier With said rolls, substantially as specified.

19. The combination with sizing-rolls and a carrier arranged at an inclination thereto, of means for varying the relation of said carrier to said rolls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

20. The combination with sizing-rolls and an endless carrier, of supporting-rolls for said carrier and means for adjusting said support- EDWARD RETTICH. GEORGE BERGER.

Witnesses:

HARRY G. DAVIS, JOHN M. NUTT. 

